I'm much happier with the design I've done now - I obviously work better in the middle of the night. Actually, that's something I've known for some time. But the working day isn't conducive to us night owls. What I need to the chance to do stuff like this for a living, then I could work all night and then sleep until midday... Luxury!

Tuesday, 18 December 2007

Only a week to go until Christmas Day. And the end of the week can't come quickly enough. Luckily I finish at about 3pm on Friday and then I've got a week off.

I finally sat down and wrote all my Christmas cards last night and got them into the pillar box this morning. With any luck they'll all be delivered before Christmas. Fingers crossed!

This year the whole palaver has bored me more than ever. I'm just not excited by Christmas like I used to be - not just as a kid, but even 4 or 5 years ago. Nowadays it seems to be just a reason to spend money we don't have - and I can't stand the crowds of people in the shops. I think I get more and more claustrophobic as I get older...

The best thing about Christmas is the fact that I don't have to go to work. I can get down to some planning for the play and spend some time relaxing and sleeping late (if my creaking body and the noisy kids next door allow me to).

Thursday, 13 December 2007

... and that's just one of the questions that springs to mind after last night's session of frenzied writing.The Ottershaw Players brains trust (6 people with about 2.7 brains between us) gathered in Paul's kitchen to try to thrash out the storyline to our 2008 Farrago.[How to describe the Farrago to an innocent outsider? Try theseherelinks for size...]This was the second of our writing sessions and I think we've got a cracker of a story now. The show will be called Pleasure Island and it's loosely based upon Treasure Island, as if you couldn't guess.I don't think I'll give away any of the plot - I don't want to spoil it for anyone who may come to watch. And you should come to see it - the audience usually have a riotous time. It's so popular that the local pub has taken to buying ALL 80 tickets for the last Saturday, so we now run the show across two weekends.More details will be posted here when I know what the ticket price is!

Tuesday, 11 December 2007

Something tells me I'm starting to get old. It starts in the morning. Where once I would spring out of bed with nary a second thought after a good 12 or 13 hours sleep, I now barely make it to 7 hours without needing to get up for the bathroom. If my back doesn't complain, my feet do and I stumble off on the long, chilly ramble to the loo.To try to mitigate the twinges, I've bought an orthopaedic pillow. I make regular visits to a chiropractor and a sports massage therapist: they inflict more pain on my to try to make me forget the other dull aches.

I've got a huge wishlist for Christmas, but what would really make me happy is a new pair of slippers. My old ones are nearly worn out from shuffling around the house.

When I watch Have I Got News For You and they have the "publication of the week", the audience laughs at the dull and prosaic nature of the featured periodical. I just think that a magazine about plywood, or wool, or rawlplugs, sounds really interesting.

I've already started hoarding some magazines: Q, Viz, Private Eye, Amateur Photographer and other soft porn. Soon I will start to hoard old newspapers, building them into a labyrinthine, erm, labyrinth which will fill the house, waiting its moment to collapse, trapping me without food or water.

To try and fend off this ultimate humiliation I must make an effort to keep (get) fit(ter) and healthy(er). I've already started this effort by jiggling my leg up-and-down rapidly while sitting at my desk. And I have started walking to the elevator, instead of getting someone to push me there on my office chair. I should be fit as a butcher's dog within days.

Friday, 7 December 2007

When was the last time you bought a record on vinyl? I'm assuming you're not a hard-core turntableist or something!Radiohead's In Rainbows box set arrived at my office today. 12 inches of musical goodness. The already mega-downloaded original album on both CD and two 45rpm heavywewight vinyl records, plus a lyrics booklet (so that's what Thom's singing about!) and big book of artwork.The whole package is very well put together and, I'm guessing, will become very collectible, as the In Rainbows store shuts its online doors on Monday 10th December.

But the big bonus is the CD of extra tracks. I've only had time to have a cursory listen, while pretending to be working, but the bonus music fits in well with the main album. In fact, it's more stripped back and back-to-basics than the previously-released work, giving it an immediacy that the rest of In Rainbows lacked.[Don't get me wrong, I think that it's fantastic, but it took 2 or 3 listens to really start appreciating.]Go Slowly is track 3, but it's the first real standout. Up On The Ladder is the first of two guitar-led tracks, but the 2nd, Bangers And Mash, is a frantic, frenetic, riff-based number that probably comes as close to 'funky' as Radiohead will ever get! There's a real taste of the bands early Talking Heads influence in this track. I'm guessing this will be a favourite at next year's gigs.Top music from the Oxford boys. Keep it up lads!

Wednesday, 5 December 2007

I was all set to 'disappear', leaving the shattered remnants of my canoe burning by the shores of the King George V reservoir - as illustrated below.

But the news of the past few days has meant that it's now not feasible for MLYW and I to live quietly off the life insurance money now. We're going to have to look for another 'get rich quick' scheme...Still, it only goes to show: You can't have your kayak and heat it !Ker-ching! I thank you!